Chapter 14 #2
Every time she was with them, she learned something new about her family, whether a funny old story from when her siblings were growing up, or something Big Mac and his brothers had done when they were young men.
She added each new detail to her growing list of information about them.
Sometimes she still felt like a voyeur who didn’t actually belong among them.
But that was her hang-up, not theirs. They’d never been anything other than completely welcoming to her.
On one of her earlier visits, she’d made a point of figuring out where everyone lived.
Janey and Joe’s house was located less than a mile from Mac and Maddie’s.
The Cantrells’ big contemporary home was lit up with interior and exterior lights.
Cars, pickup trucks and a random motorcycle that she recognized as Evan’s were parked outside the house.
Mallory gathered her jacket, purse and the plate of brownies and went up the walkway to the front door. She wasn’t sure if she should knock or let herself in, but after having witnessed the way the others walked right into each other’s homes, she twisted the knob and stepped into chaos.
Though she was used to the McCarthy family volume by now, it still came as a surprise to someone who was raised without siblings or cousins. Life with her mom had been like being raised in a church compared to what it was like to be with the McCarthys.
“Mallory,” Janey called, “you made it. Come in!”
She hung her coat and purse on one of the hooks in the entryway and headed for the kitchen, which was where all the noise was coming from.
In addition to their immediate family, Ned and Francine Saunders were there, as were Luke Harris and his pregnant wife, Sydney, who was seated on a chaise in Janey’s family room, and Grant’s lawyer friend Dan Torrington and his fiancée, Kara Ballard.
Joe’s mom, Carolina, her husband, Seamus, and their boys Jackson and Kyle, came in shortly after Mallory arrived.
Big Mac intercepted Mallory after she said hello to everyone. “Good to see you back on dry land,” he said with a kiss to her cheek.
“Did you get my text that we were back?”
“I got it, and thank you for that.” His brows furrowed. “You were out there a long time.”
“Oh, um, were you keeping tabs on me?” she asked, secretly pleased by his obvious concern.
He looked at her with an “are you crazy?” expression on his face. “Of course I was.”
“Well, I’m fine, and we had a great time.”
“You liked sailing, then?”
“I loved it. Quinn said I had a good feel for the boat, whatever that means.”
“That’s high praise from someone who knows what he’s doing.”
“You aren’t harassing Mallory, are you, dear?” Linda asked when she joined them.
“I am not ‘harassing’ her,” he said with a wink for Mallory. “I’m simply inquiring as to how her day on the water was.”
“You had fun?” Linda asked.
“I did.”
“What’s going on with that doctor fellow?” Big Mac asked.
“Mac!” Linda said. “Leave her alone.”
“I’m her father. I can ask her what’s going on.” To Mallory, he said, “Can’t I?”
Hearing him say that, even after all this time, was like being a kid on Christmas. “You can certainly ask, and I can certainly decline to reply.”
Linda laughed while he scowled playfully. “She’s got you figured out, my love.”
“What do we know about this guy anyway?” he asked, brows furrowed.
Amused by his paternal bluster and moved by his protectiveness, she said, “We know that he served his country, moving from enlisted to trauma surgeon in the army, for twenty-one years before retiring due to injury. We know he’s one of five kids, his brother is the billionaire Jared James, and he’s been hired to be the medical director of the new long-term healthcare facility here on the island.
The next time I see him, I’d be happy to ask if I can reserve a room for you for when you need it. ”
“When I need it,” he said with an indignant huff while Linda laughed again. “That’ll be the day.” He eyed her shrewdly. “He treats you nicely?”
Mallory’s mind went immediately to the V-berth and the memory of his hand inside her panties. She was sure that her face had to be bright red. Thank goodness for windburn. “Yes,” she said, swallowing hard, “he treats me very nicely. He’s a good guy. You don’t have to worry.”
“Clearly she has no idea what it’s like to be the father of daughters,” he said to his wife.
For the second time, Mallory spontaneously kissed his cheek. “This daughter loves having a father who cares about who she’s dating.”
“You say that now,” Janey commented when she joined them. “Wait till he crashes your date because you missed your curfew.”
Mallory knew the smallest pang of regret that she would never have such an experience with him. “He did not do that.”
“You know he did! It was when I first started dating David, and we were standing outside the gate at home when he came out and started talking about his gun collection—”
“He has guns?”
“No,” Janey said, scoffing. “What he has is a big mouth and a vivid imagination.”
Mallory bit her lip to keep from dissolving into laughter she knew her father wouldn’t appreciate.
“First of all,” Big Mac said sternly, “you were fifteen years old and thirty minutes late getting home. Second of all, you were not just standing outside the gate. You were swapping spit with that boy, and he’s lucky I didn’t kill him for daring to put his filthy hands on my Princess.”
Janey rolled her eyes at Mallory. “You see what I had to put up with?”
“I do, and I feel your pain.” She wished she could’ve experienced the same things Janey had with him and tried to tell herself that it was enough that he was flexing his paternal muscles now.
But it would never be enough, and once again, the resentment toward her mother flared up inside her in the form of a sharp pain in her chest.
“How about a drink?” Janey said. “You probably need it after putting up with him.”
“Him is in the room, and he can hear you maligning him, Princess.”
“I’m very sorry, Daddy.”
“You are not.”
Linda patted his chest. “Don’t pout, babe.”
“What’s Dad pouting about now?” Evan asked when he came over to give Mallory a hug. “Good to see you.”
“You, too. Welcome home.”
“He’s mad because his daughters are calling him out on his BS,” Linda said.
“Oh, I love when that happens,” Evan said, rubbing his hands together.
“And here I actually missed you while you were gone,” Big Mac said, drawing a huge smile from his youngest son.
“Good to be home?” Mallory asked her brother.
“So good. If I never see another hotel room, that’ll be just fine.”
“Don’t listen to him,” Grace said as she came over to hug Mallory. “Buddy put us up in the finest hotel rooms you’ve ever seen. Our little place here looks like a hovel after all that luxury.”
“That hovel is our home, love,” Evan reminded her as he put his arm around her.
“Until we buy that big new house you promised me from all the royalties from my song.” The song “My Amazing Grace” that Evan had written had gone all the way to number one on the country charts, spurring Buddy’s request for Evan to join him on the recently completed tour.
“Ohhh, when is that happening?” Linda asked.
“Soon,” Evan said, with a smile for Grace.
“With lots of bedrooms for my future grandchildren, I hope,” Big Mac said.
“You know it,” Evan replied. “What’ve you got in inventory, Ned?”
“Whateva ya want,” Ned replied. “I got something fer everyone.”
“Nice to have the island’s land baron in the family at times like this,” Grace said.
“Anything fer you, sweetheart,” Ned said.
The front door opened, and Adam came in by himself. Mallory hadn’t known him long, but she could see at first glance that something was different about him. Apparently, the others saw it, too.
“Uh-oh,” Evan said in a low tone. “What’s up with him, and where’s Abby?”
“I have no idea on either count, but you can bet I’m going to find out,” Linda said.